7/17/99 – Saturday – 12:15

In Jomsom again, we’re staying here tonight, not sure why. Garrett said we’re staying here and resting, then leaving at 6 AM and going all day. What the hell is the point of that? Everyone got kinda irritable today.

We burned down the hill for awhile, but then we got to a river that had swollen since we came up to Kagbeni. Jimmy and Danielle went across with shoes on, and they were wet after that. I kinda fell in once and got all dirty. That kinda slowed us down. But we still got here in 4 hours.

The govt. abolished trekking permits 5 days ago, so we could have gone through Thorung La and into Upper Mustang. Sux. [Thorung La, yes; Mustang, no. That area remains closed, though it’s easier to get a permit now.]